10 Thoughts: Demidov dazzles, but Habs fizzle in a 4-3 SO loss to Chicago

With the Chicago Blackhawks in town for the second-last game of the season on Monday, it was not only a chance to secure an invitation to the playoffs but also the debut of Ivan Demidov, one of the top prospects not yet playing in the NHL.

One could argue that the Habs got one out of two on the night: Demidov had an outstanding debut with a goal and an assist, plus very strong play–and playmaking–in the offensive zone. However, the team could not take those two goals and run with them and ended up conceding the game to the Blackhawks in the shootout, leaving them still short of a confirmed playoff spot.

Starting Lines

Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovsky
Anderson – Dvorak – Gallagher
Armia – Newhook – Demidov
Laine – Evans – Kapanen

Guhle – Hutson
Matheson – Carrier
Struble – Savard

Montembeault
Dobes

10 Thoughts

1) What an atmosphere at the Bell Centre! A full house, of course, but the fans were clearly abuzz even before the puck dropped. Not only were the bleu blanc et rouge at home, with a chance to clinch their first playoff spot since the “COVID season” of 2020-21, but it was to be the NHL debut of the highly-awaited Ivan Demidov, the fifth overall pick in last summer’s draft. And, indeed, the chants started as soon as Demidov got the puck on his stick on his first shift: “Demi-dov, Demi-dov, Demi-dov!”

2) Those chants were rewarded on the Joel Armia – Alex Newhook – Demidov line’s next shift. Armia found Demidov open in the centre ice, and the rookie crossed into the Chicago zone, fooled the defence, and started to skate around the net. Only he did not do that, as he spotted Newhook skating for the net just before getting there, and made a tidy pass to his centreman, and Newhook deposited it behind Arvid Soderblom for Demidov’s first NHL point, just six minutes into his first game.

3) It took Demidov six minutes to record an assist and not much more than that to add a goal as well. Mike Matheson made a clearing pass from the Montreal zone, and Armia tipped it into the Chicago zone to avoid an icing call. Demidov skated hard for it and picked up the rebound from the end boards, and then deked Soderblom, scoring on a backhand once Soderblom had committed to the wrong corner of the net. Are we believers yet?

4) Kaiden Guhle was called for a totally unnecessary interference penalty at 17:16 of the first as he delivered a hard check on Oliver Moore, who had not yet received the expected pass. After a scrum, the Habs ended up with a penalty kill, and the Connor Bedard-equipped Blackhawks were a potent foe for that. Tyler Bertuzzi and Sam Rinzel both had excellent scoring chances, only to be foiled by Samuel Montembeault. However, a minute into the penalty, the Blackhawks rushed in with Bedard in the lead. A pass to Frank Nazar, a failed sliding block by Alexandre Carrier, and Bertuzzi found himself open in front of Montembeault. The Habs’ lead was back down to a single goal.

5) The Canadiens only recorded six shots on goal in the first period, and seven minutes into the second, they were still unable to get the puck on net, stuck on six shots. To try to address that–or something like that–Matheson tripped Lukas Reichel. This time, there was only one shot on net, and that was Armia on Soderblom. Shortly after that, Bertuzzi was sent off for hooking David Savard, giving us 41 seconds of four-on-four play. And in spite of no goals, what a treat it was to see Hutson and Demidov with more space on the ice!

6) The Habs’ penalties were not over yet, though: Carrier was sent to the sin bin at 16:34 for tripping Ilya Mikheyev. That Chicago power play … needed a total of seven seconds to even the score at two apiece. That’s it. This team really needs to cut back on the minor penalties.

7) The bleu blanc et rouge were applying more pressure in the third, though still struggling to get the pucks all the way to the net. This time, it was Demidov’s shot, from the top of the left circle, deflecting off Joe Veleno and onto the stick of Landon Slaggert. Slaggert broke out immediately on the left side, with Lane Hutson covering him. However, no one was on Reichel: Demidov slowed down on centre ice, and Newhook couldn’t quite catch up. So, after a pass from Slaggert, it was Reichel on Montembeault, alone, and Reichel won that matchup, putting Chicago in a 3-2 lead.

8) The fat lady was starting to warm up behind the stage, but the Habs were still claiming that it was but a flesh wound. And at 16:12, they finally caught a break when Newhook, rounding behind the Chicago net, attracted Connor Murphy’s attention just a little bit too much, and Murphy was sent off for holding. 50 seconds later, the Habs finally figured out how to score a power play goal. It was a pass from Caufield on the right to Hutson, the Hutson back to Caufield, and finally to Juraj Slafkovsky in front of the net. 3-3, and the Habs would survive regulation, at least.

9) The overtime was nothing if not mesmerizing, watching Suzuki, Caufield, Matheson, Demidov, Newhook, and Hutson skate on open ice. Goals were not to be had, and the Blackhawks also had their chances, but the young talent on the Habs is undeniable.

10) Alas, the shootout was a letdown: Caufield, Laine, and Suzuki all failed to score, and Frank Nazar’s shot was deemed a goal on a delayed video review. The review was odd, but if you can’t score, you really can’t win.

HW Habs Three Stars

First Star: Ivan Demidov (1g, 1a, 3 shots, +1, 16:56 TOI) surely cannot be denied the first star in his first NHL game. A smart play for the Newhook goal, and a pretty deke for his own goal. And his skills with the puck are undeniable, much like Lane Hutson. He will need some time to learn to play the Martin St-Louis way (witness the lack of effort on the second Chicago goal), but his raw talent is undeniable.

Second Star: Samuel Montembeault (25 shots, 22 saves, .880 save %, +2.88 xGSA) didn’t make two score saves tonight, but the Blackhawks were buzzing him, especially during the Chicago power plays, and, once again, Montembeault did what he had to do in order to keep the Canadiens in the game. He has been St-Louis’s go-to goaltender and he is proving that he is capable of doing that.

Third Star: Jayden Struble (0g, 0a, 0 shots, 2 hits, +2, 13:02 TOI) played another solid game, giving up few scoring chances and covering any challenges that his veteran defensive partner, Savard, might have had.